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CLOCK KNOT
SQUARE DANCE
Kurt Heinzelman
The knees are bent so
that the hands of time
may touch for once their
own toes allemande
left in your own back-
yard, right then left
around the ring Off
speed the fire trucks of
morning to an up-
town derelict book
depository
to practice their high-
rise rescues swing your
corner with the old
left hand, then meet your
partner, promenade
home At the base of
the green knoll where it's
been turning after-
noon all day, a café
nestles among the
statues, the general
rubbish, like a piece
of topiary,
offering sunshiny
burritos and a
studious ease do-
si-do with the one
below then twirl a
left star once more round
Now the engineers
of evening, who know
more than anyone
how everything
that can fly out of
someone's hand sooner
or later will, are
closing up their lap-
tops and closing down
the wireless halls of
Chicago brick and
in no time at all
have begun to square
dance together in
their high domed labs then
turn and roll away
with a half sashay
while the moving hands
of an orrery
upon the table,
made all of glass, trace
the faint tinnitus
of the eldritch stars.
after the construction called
"Clock Knot" by Mark di Suvero